Three days after Matt Wappett finished a rafting trip in the Grand Canyon, he landed in the emergency room with a massive knee infection. While it improved with the help of antibiotics, Wappett’s general health continued to deteriorate over the following weeks. Through social media, Wappett recently learned he’s not the only paddler suffering.
“It’s just felt like having a flu for the last month, which is kind of crazy, and I don’t know and the doctors right now don’t know if that infection that I had in my knee is related to it. Nobody seems to know,” he said.
The National Park Service is now leading an investigation, hoping to discover what’s causing the mystery illness in Grand Canyon rafters.
Social media sparks conversation and investigation
Wappett’s group launched in mid May and took out on June 2. In the month since, Wappett has suffered from constant aches, joint pains and fever. He has also been diagnosed with pneumonia.
“I was telling my wife the other day, I’m like, I don’t know if I can go on like this. This is awful. You wake up every morning and every joint hurts. It’s just brutal, and I’ve never had anything like this,” Wappett said.
Wappett thought he was going crazy or being dramatic until he saw a post in a Grand Canyon boaters Facebook group on July 1. In the post, paddler Steven King shares that four of 16 people in his group started experiencing fever, fatigue, severe localized muscle pain and fluid in their lungs about a week after their rafting trip in June.
“I mean, it just takes one person to say, oh I’m experiencing this. If he wouldn’t have posted that, I would have still just been assuming that I’ve got a month-long flu,” said Wappett.
Since sharing the post, at least five other rafters have contacted King saying members of their crews are experiencing similar symptoms. According to King, all were on the river in May and June.
Searching for answers
Both Wappett and King are waiting on medical tests, currently left with more questions than answers. Wappett’s doctor is considering valley fever, dengue fever, and hantavirus, while King says members of his group have reported an extensive list of illnesses under consideration, including bacterial infections, Lyme disease, West Nile virus, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
“I just want to feel normal again. I was supposed to go on the Salmon River in two weeks, and I’m at the point now where I’m like, I can’t go to the Salmon because I’m just not well,” said Wappett.
A spokesperson for Grand Canyon National Park confirmed that the National Park Service (NPS) is aware of the reported illness. The NPS Office of Public Health is leading an investigation in coordination with public health partners.
In a written statement, the NPS shared, “At this time, the investigation is ongoing, and we are not able to comment on the extent of the illnesses, potential diagnoses or other details while the investigation is underway. We will share additional information with the public as it becomes available.”
King and Wappett have both been contacted by an NPS Public Health Officer as part of the investigation. Wappett says the experience has taught him the importance of the often-overlooked health risks of traveling in remote areas like the Grand Canyon.
“We kind of just blow that off like, oh, no, it’s no big deal. But I’m starting to learn there’s a lot of weird things down there, and you got to be really careful with keeping things clean and just being mindful of sanitation and stuff. It’s just there’s risks when you go do the big ditch,” Wappett said.
Anyone who has recently visited the Grand Canyon and is experiencing similar symptoms should notify the NPS Office of Public Health.
Rafts in Grand Canyon from Matt Wappett’s person trip after which he became sick. | Feature photo: courtesy Matt Wappett
